Cracking Christine’s Code
by Animatic Psychopath
Summary: Taking place after Sparkyville’s Horrific Boogaloo,Ed decides to see Christine and figure out why she didn’t show up to the slumber party and even try to get her to properly meet the other kids in the Peanuts gang.


**CRACKING CHRISTINE'S CODE**

**A PEANUTS ONE SHOT**

**(This takes place shortly after Sparkyville's Horrific Boogaloo.)**

Ed was standing at the very edge of Christine's front door during the middle of a nice autumn day in Sparkyville,it had been about a week after Rebecca's disastrous and horror filled slumber party had transcribed and nearly killed her and the kids with a death curse,and Ed was personally interested in why one of his friends,Christine hadn't even bothered to show up at the party or it's follow up. He knew that she was now living a few houses down Charlie Brown's place and that Rebecca had sent her a letter inviting her to the party,not to mention that she DID join him and the rest of the gang for a small get together at the same club he,her and Ashlynn went to one time beforehand despite her barely even taking to any of them,so it was clear that Ed was wanting to find out some answers about what was going on with her.

As the hermit was about to knock on the door to see if Christine was indeed home,he took out a small piece of paper from his pocket and looked down at it while he quietly told himself "Okay,this looks like the address that Rattler told me,and it does look like the description of the house too,so I guess this is it." before he promptly put the note back in his pocket,took a deep breath and finally knocked on the door.

It didn't even take ten seconds of waiting for someone to answer the door and it was indeed Christine like Ed was hoping it would be as he happily greeted the girl at the sight of her "Hi there Christine,recognize me?" to which the girl grew a small smile herself and happily greeted the boy in return "Oh hey Ed! I wasn't expecting to see you here today,come on in my parents aren't home." before the hermit chuckled and jokingly retorted in response as he followed the girl inside "Well that's exactly what I was hoping for Christine,cause there's something I need to ask you."

"Sure thing Ed,let's talk this out on the couch." Christine nodded her head and happily obliged to see what Ed wanted as she and the boy sat down on her couch before she politely asked afterwards "So,what's up with you?" to which Ed stretched out his arms and calmly asked "So um,my girlfriend Rebecca had a slumber party about a week ago,two to be precise,and she told me that she invited you but you didn't show up to any of them. I was just wondering if there was any reason why you didn't show up or if it was something….else."

Christine as a result of this started to get a slight look of guilt on her face as she meekly tried to answer Ed's question "Oh yeah….that um,you see I just moved out of the orphanage about a month ago and am just now starting to settle down in town you know? And I just felt that I wasn't ready to really start socializing with other kids that I probably go to the same school with,I mean you know I barely talked to anyone at that club two weeks ago. Plus with my new dad being a therapist,I don't want him to get dollar signs in his eyes when he sees that I'm making friends because literally anything could happen after that." to which Ed chuckled and retorted in a slightly surprised tome of voice "Well now,I see you've gotten a little more cynical as you've gotten older."

"Yep,it's probably apart of getting a little older. And I see you've still kept the hat and the eyepatch." Christine shrugged her arms and playfully replied in response before she sighed and continued a little more somber "But yeah I just don't see myself getting along with other kids right now,and I especially don't want to make the risk of running into another Arin in that friend group of yours." to which Ed scoffed and firmly retorted while he straightened out his crooked fedora "Well I've met every one of them and I can safely that there is no second Arin to be found. I think you just need to talk to some of them and I'm sure they'll grow to like you,especially some of their dogs. All you need to do to impress them is to rub their fur and give them some food,but that's kinda redundant the more that I think about it because they'll probably just go to Joe's and get it themselves. Come on let's just-"

"Look Ed I know you mean well,but I just don't think I can do this now." Christine sighed and respectfully tried to decline the offer before it was even finished as Ed raised an eyebrow and asked in response "You think,or you know? Look I know we've both changed over the years and that change is good,but I think we just need to try and see if it actually works. There's this girl I know,her name is Claudia,and from what I've heard she was very nervous about meeting the other kids due to her autism and overall shyness,but do you know what she did? She made an effort to actually meet the other kids and I think she would agree with me that it worked out very good for her in the long run,and she has lots of friends that care for her how. So I think if you do that,a lot of stress would be lifted off your shoulders."

"I cannot believe that I'm almost agreeing with you here." Christine hung her head down low and timidly replied at the realization that she was actually agreeing with Ed's idea to which the hermit rolled his eyes and playfully retorted "I thought we both felt that spark,and I'm never wrong." before Christine lifted her head back up and questioned with a raised eyebrow "Never? Wanna bet?"

'You really wanna? Tell you what,I'm right about you,you meet the others." Ed chuckled and playfully offered up his own bet in response as Christine stood up,looked the boy straight in the eye and sharply requested "Alright then,hit me." to which the hermit grew a smug smile and devilishly retorted "Okay,well you better start getting yourself ready then."

_**Ed:**_

_I betcha think you're pretty tough,and sure you are,but not enough._

_Still you're the type of girl who likes to flirt with danger._

_**Christine:**_

_That's it._

_**Ed:**_

_You haven't had a date in years,the locals leave ya bored to tears._

_But you'd be tempted by some charming friendly strangers._

_**Christine:**_

_Oh please._

_**Ed:**_

_It'd help a ton if they're gone by noon I reckon._

_So it's clean and done before anyone has to know._

_I told ya so see I can read you,like an open book._

_And honey chapter one looks dynamite._

_Yes I can read you,with a single look._

_So forgive me if I'm staring,but you clearly can't help sharin'._

'_Cause darlin it's all there in black and white._

"A few lucky guesses. My turn." Christine folded her arms and smugly stated in response as Ed took off his hat and politely intimidated her while he put it on her head "You're out of your league." before Christine handed the boy a mug of root beer and fearlessly retorted "Here,I hope you can hold your root beer."

_**Christine:**_

_I betcha think you're pretty slick,the type who doesn't miss a trick._

_And I can see you've got your act down to the letter._

_**Ed:**_

_Compliments don't count._

_**Christine:**_

_I know you're charming goodness yes,not half as much though as you'd guess._

_But plenty enough to fool the folks who don't know better._

_**Ed:**_

_Cheers._

_**Christine:**_

_And in every town all the girls lay down when you beckon._

_So you get all hot when there's one who's got any fight._

_Dang right-_

_**Both:**_

_Yeah I can read you,like an open book._

_**Christine:**_

_The kind that I put down by chapter two._

_**Both:**_

_Aw honey,I can ready you,with a single look._

_**Ed:**_

_And it seems like a best seller._

_**Christine:**_

_At least the tale if not the teller,and honey even Helen Keller could see through you._

"Haha,my turn." Ed lightly laughed and announced as he took his hat and put it back on as Christine filled her mug back up with root beer and sarcastically retorted "I'm quaking in fear."

_**Ed:**_

_You spend your days in the heat and haze,and sleepwalk through the town._

_You watch it turn to dust and blow away._

_You talk to folks,maybe tell some jokes,you smile when they seem down._

_And swear the rain'll be here any day._

_Late at night in the failing light,you're tired to your soul and everything inside comes bursting through._

_Still you keep it hid so your poor sweet dad won't see you lose control._

_And pretend that you're just fine,and hope to God it's true._

It was at this moment that Christine started to develop a huge look of guilt on her face as Ed developed one himself and asked out of concern "Too much?" only for the girl to shake her head and nonchalantly denied "I can take it,can you?"

_**Christine:**_

_I think you read folks like you do to keep the world from reading you._

_It's hard to hit a target that keeps moving,see I do know the life you've had._

_And someone somewhere hurt you bad,and you don't want that wound to start improving._

_So you come on hard and won't drop your guard for a second._

_And you pick apart everybody's heart so your own,can stay unknown._

_**Ed:**_

_Can we stop now?_

_**Christine:**_

_See I can read you,like an open book._

_You're pretty much like me down at the core._

_**Ed:**_

_Oh I can read you._

_**Christine:**_

_Yes I can read you._

_**Both:**_

_Let's turn the page and read a little more._

It now seemed that both of the kids were pretty burnt out after they had their little dispute as Ed sighed and timidly remarked "I guess we both have some improving to do after all. What do you think?" to which Christine nodded her head in agreement "Definitely,I guess we both win then,who should I meet first?" before Ed chuckled and happily replied while he and Christine began to make their way outside "Well I know the exact person you should meet right now because I think he was a lot like you at one point,he and his girlfriend Freida should be studying at his house. I think they'll really grow to like you."

**The End**

"**I Can Read You." **Written By Alan Menken And Glenn Slater.

©️Menken Music And Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.


End file.
